Dr. Fred J. Foster

1926 - 2018

Dr. Fred J. Foster

West Monroe - Funeral services for Dr. Fred J. Foster will be held on Tuesday, August 7, 2018 at 6:30 P.M. at The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities in West Monroe. Burial will be held on Wednesday, August 8, 2018 at 11:00 A.M. at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Calhoun. Visitation will be held Monday, August 6, 2018, 5:00 P.M. until 8:00 P.M. at The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities. Services are under the direction of Kilpatrick Funeral Home, West Monroe.

Dr. Foster was born in Durham, Oklahoma on December 28, 1926 and passed away at 91 years of age on August 2, 2018.

His family moved to Albuquerque, NM when he was just a young boy.

He enlisted in the United States Navy at the age of 16 and served from March 6, 1943 until April 5, 1946, serving in the Pacific during World War II.

After returning home to Albuquerque, he went to the University of New Mexico where he played football. In April of 1947, he was invited by his girlfriend, Pat, to attend a revival at Bethel Pentecostal Church. It was there that he fell in love with Jesus Christ and his life was changed completely. In September, he became a theological student at Pentecostal Institute in Tupelo, MS where he graduated. He married Pat Echols on September 10, 1949. After graduation from PBI in 1951, they, along with another couple, founded Cedar Grove Pentecostal Church in Tupelo.

In September of 1954, they founded Calvary Pentecostal Church in Albuquerque, NM. They were there until 1958, when they became the pastor of the First United Pentecostal Church in Orange, TX. They pastored until November of 1963, when the Texas District United Pentecostal Church International asked them to found Texas Bible College in Houston, TX. Under their leadership, TBC became the largest college in the UPCI.

In January of 1970, the Fosters began their ministry in West Monroe, LA at First Pentecostal Church now The Pentecostals of the Twin Cities.

Under his leadership, the church had great growth and success over the next 28 and a half years. He built a new sanctuary on Montgomery Ave. and purchased the property for the new facilities on I-20.

Dr. Foster believed in education. He graduated from Houston Baptist University in May of 1969.

In May of 1977, he received his Masters Degree from the University of Louisiana at Monroe. In May of 1981, he received his Doctorate from Columbia Pacific University.

He served in many positions on different boards in the UPCI. He served his local area for many years as a LA District Presbyter. He was instrumental in the building of the chapel at the Louisiana State Prison in Angola. He believed in Missions and the Fosters traveled to many countries preaching the gospel. In his sixties, he taught himself Spanish. He had a burden for the Spanish speaking people. He along with the West Monroe congregation founded churches in Monterrey, Mexico and built works in Panama.

In September of 2009, he was inducted into the UPCI Order of Faith which is their highest honor given to their ministers.

After his retirement in May of 1998, he served for 3 years as President of Jackson College of Ministries in Jackson, MS, and traveled back and forth each week.

Dr. Foster has authored 12 books and had some ready to be published at the time of his death.

He was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Patricia Echols Foster; his parents, Ruby Potter and John W. Foster; brother, Paul W. Foster; sister, Bea Decker; a son, Tim Foster and a grandson, Shiloh Foster.

Dr. Foster is survived by his wife, Connie Zabaronick Foster. His sons Rev. Mark Foster and wife, Paulla of West Monroe, Rev. Tom Foster and wife, Gayla of Dallas, Texas and daughter Debbie Saiz and husband Rev. Steve Saiz of Torrance, CA.

His grandchildren, Jonathan Foster, Jeremy Foster, Cheyenne Johnson, Hayden Foster, Vanessa Saiz, and Steve Saiz, Jr. and several great grandchildren; Connie's daughters, Cathy and Alex Schjelde, Leslie and Daryl Rawls, and Kristi and Darian Long as well as Connie's grandchildren.

Online condolences may be made to the family at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.

Kilpatrick Funeral Home

West Monroe